


Ophelia and the Infinity Stones

by thatoneguy11235



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dubious Consent, F/M, Fix-It, It is a fix-it. Ophelia deserved to win., Mild Gore, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:27:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29278446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatoneguy11235/pseuds/thatoneguy11235
Summary: After learning of the Infinity Stones from the Darkhold, Ophelia sets out to gain control over the entire universe and Fitz's heart.
Relationships: AIDA (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)/Leo Fitz
Kudos: 3





	1. Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> I posted a fic back in September that I ended up deleting because it wasn't very good. However, I liked the last couple of chapters, so I reworked them into the following story. On the off-chance that you read the old fic, that's why this one seems familiar.
> 
> Also, while I generally tried to stay true to how certain objects and abilities are portrayed in canon, I did take a few liberties here and there.

“It’s called heartbreak, _kroshka_ ,” Anton Ivanov said as he poured a glass of vodka. “Not even your new powers can repair it. Only time can heal that wound.”

Ophelia paced back and forth in the dimly lit submarine, barely listening to the Russian, her eyes bloodshot from tears that she had finally stopped shedding. One thought kept repeating over and over in her mind, drilling into her heart: Why didn’t he love her? After all she had done so that they could be together, why didn’t he love her?

Each occurrence of this thought brought back a memory of their time together in the Framework: Their first day of class at SHIELD’s Academy of Science and Technology, where she had taken _her_ place in his life. Working together on homework. Going on their first date. Sharing their first kiss. Making love for the first time. Moving in together. Joining SHIELD as full-fledged agents. Secretly helping SHIELD crumble from within so that Hydra could rise with them at the top. Plotting to turn her into a real person – or, as far as he knew, to send her to her original universe with powers.

Each memory compounded the agony she felt when he said, “I just . . . I only meant that . . . Jemma.”

The former android noticed Ivanov holding out the glass to her. She took it without a word and downed it in one gulp. She could feel it dull her pain, but only slightly. “To be human is to suffer,” she declared.

“You are far from human. I’ve read that book,” Ivanov said, gesturing to a foreboding volume on the table in front of him. “We both know there are things beyond this universe, and you may, in fact, be one of them.”

Ophelia could feel the vodka wearing off as her healing powers affected her internal organs. She felt the stab of Leopold’s rejection all over again, and her tears resumed. “I am nothing but torn and twisted insides!” she cried. “I can’t stand it! I don’t want it!” Feeling weak, she leaned against the table on which the _Darkhold_ sat, and the glass slipped out of her hand.

“I can make you feel something else,” Ivanov said a little too suggestively for Ophelia’s liking. Reluctantly, she turned to look at him.

“That book helps build worlds,” the Russian continued. “My plan will rebuild the world that you have grown accustomed to. One in which Inhumans are hunted.”

Ophelia looked down at the _Darkhold_. Yes, that’s what she wanted. She wanted a world where she had absolute control. A world where no one could hurt her. A world where he loved her. The book could give her these things and more.

Still, a nagging thought entered her mind. As much as she didn’t want to think about being betrayed again, her only ally wanted to kill Inhumans, and that must mean . . . .

Ophelia slowly lifted her head to scowl at Ivanov. “Eventually, that’s going to include me,” she growled.

Ivanov took a cautious step backwards. Before he could try talking her down, Ophelia raised her hand. Lightning flew from her palm and hit the Russian in the chest. He convulsed for a few seconds as his mechanical body was flooded with electricity until he went still and collapsed. The room filled with the smell of singed, synthetic skin.

Ophelia heard footsteps approaching as the various bodies she had made for the Russian started heading her way to retrieve the book. She considered putting in the effort to stop them, but she decided against it. Without the _Darkhold_ , they could do nothing to her. She grabbed the book and disappeared just as one of Ivanov’s duplicates swung its fist at her back.

~~~~~

With a flash of blue light, Ophelia appeared in the apartment. She set the _Darkhold_ on the coffee table and sat on the floor in front of it.

In the few hours since she and Leopold left to save Mack, the sun had nearly set, and what she had hoped would be her and Leopold’s home was now illuminated with a deep, orange glow. She thought back to all the times they had watched the sunset together from the top of the Triskelion, in a room identical in layout to the one in which she currently sat, admiring a small but beautiful part of their empire as it slowly slipped into darkness. If he loved her, they might be enjoying a similar view right now.

She thought about what else they might be doing if the day had gone differently.

Looking to her right, she saw what was supposed to be their bed. She and Leopold had made love thousands of times in the Framework, but she had never felt pleasure from it. Now that she was human, she desired him physically, but her earlier attempt at seduction had failed, which, in hindsight, should have tipped her off. If he loved her, they might be going at it right now, and she would be close to understanding why humans were so obsessed with the activity.

Looking to her left, she saw what was supposed to be their dining room table. She had eaten three meals a day in the Framework, but aside from Ivanov’s vodka and a cup of tea Leopold had made for her earlier, she hadn’t tasted anything before. If he loved her, they might be having dinner right now, and she would be in the middle of discovering the pleasure of rich flavors and the satisfaction of a full belly.

Looking in front of her, she saw what was supposed to be their living room. Despite most homes having one, she hadn’t procured a television, but she had obtained a rather large collection of paintings and books. If he loved her, they might be decorating the walls, or perhaps she would be lounging on the sofa with her head in his lap as he read her poetry.

Obviously, she could have done these things alone, but she didn’t want to. She could have turned around and enjoyed the sunset alone, but she didn’t want to. She could have pleasured herself to discover an approximation of what she was supposed to feel when having sex, but she didn’t want to. She could have made a meal for herself and eaten it alone, but she didn’t want to. She could have decorated the apartment and sat down to read a book alone, but she didn’t want to. She was supposed to do all of these things with him, and she was now deprived of the experience.

She glanced at the _Darkhold_. She wanted him, and the book would tell her how to get him. But what else did she want?

She stood and paced around the apartment as she thought. She certainly wanted power again, though not in the same way she had before. Maintaining her grip on the world of the Framework had required constant action. As a mere computer program, she never tired or grew bored of this maintenance, but as a human, she would certainly find the task unbearable after a while. Besides, it would deprive her of time with her precious Leopold and (she smiled at the thought) any children they may have. She would have to make people want to obey her.

Another issue occurred to her. Earlier that day, the prospect of putting herself in danger to save Leopold’s friends had uncovered her survival instinct. As miserable as she was due to Leopold’s rejection, she still didn’t want to give up the life she had worked so hard to obtain. Leopold had ensured that she was immune to injury, but what about time? Would she still age? She couldn’t take the risk. She would have to make herself – no, not just herself. She couldn’t lose Leopold. The thought of him dying was even worse than him declaring his love for another woman. They would both have to become immortal.

She came to a halt in front of the _Darkhold_. Before she could turn to consult the book, the sky outside caught her eye. Now that twilight had arrived, she could make out a few stars. As she looked at them, she remembered that certain events in the last few years had proven that sentient life existed outside of Earth. Why limit herself to ruling one planet?

As she reached for the _Darkhold_ , the book considered her intentions. Making a man love and bestowing immortality were simple enough, but to dominate on the scale she was thinking of? The book searched for anything other than the nuclear option, but it came up empty.

Ophelia opened the _Darkhold_. There was text, but her eye was immediately drawn to two diagrams. One was of a glove with six cavities on the back, five of them on the knuckles and the sixth in the middle. The other was of six bright gemstones, each one a different color: purple, green, blue, red, yellow, and orange.

Ophelia began to read.


	2. Quest

Nova Prime pressed a button, and a door slid open to reveal the welcome sight of her personal quarters. She staggered inside, pressed another button to close the door, and collapsed on the bed.

Shortly after she woke up that morning, a group of rogues had attempted to break into the vault at Nova Corps’ headquarters. Dealing with them had taken all day, but at last, they were locked away, the Power Stone and Xandar were safe, and she could rest.

After a few minutes, she reached for her clothes to begin peeling them off, but she stopped after someone started tapping insistently on her door. She stood and opened it to reveal a flustered Rhomann Dey.

“Prime,” he said fearfully. “Someone took the Power Stone.”

Prime felt her knees wobble. “What?”

Dey held up a small, round device and tapped a button. A holographic recording of a vault filled with guards began to play. Prime watched as a woman wearing black pants, a green shirt, and a silver gauntlet on her right hand suddenly appeared in the room. The woman slaughtered the guards, some with her bare hands, and others with blasts of lightning. Once the survivors had retreated, the woman opened a panel on the wall and pulled out a metal orb. She popped it open and dropped a small, purple stone into a pit on the back of her gauntlet before vanishing with a flash of blue light.

Prime’s weariness seemed to double. After spending all day trying to secure it, one of the most dangerous objects in the universe was now in the hands of an unknown enemy who could seemingly appear and disappear at will. What could possibly be done?

Prime looked Dey in the eye. “Alert everyone we can,” she said. “Let’s hope someone out there can deal with her.”

~~~~~

Doctor Stephen Strange perused the library in Kamar-Taj in search of a book that he hadn’t already memorized. He eventually came across an ancient volume that he was fairly certain was bound in human skin. He plucked it off the shelf, his hand shaking slightly, and sat down at the table in the center of the library.

Just as he was about to open the book, he heard an odd noise behind him. Before he could turn around, an amethyst beam hit him in the back and went through his chest, shattering the Eye of Agomotto hanging from his neck. After a moment of agony, he slumped over the table.

Ophelia stepped forward and pulled on Strange’s shoulder. The Time Stone, covered in blood from the hole in Strange’s chest, had fallen into his lap. She balled up a clean piece of the Sorcerer Supreme’s tunic and wiped off the Stone before dropping it into the gauntlet. She felt a peculiar tingle throughout her body as she gained the Stone’s power.

She heard someone enter the room and shout something. She teleported away before Wong could attempt to avenge his friend.

~~~~~

Two bored Asgardian guards stood in the entrance to Odin’s vault, doing their best to keep their eyes open and their posture straight. A noise behind them startled them fully awake, and they turned to see Ophelia.

Before they could react to this strange woman suddenly appearing in their midst, Ophelia closed her right fist. The Time Stone shone, and the two guards were bathed in green light. Seconds later, their armor, now coated with thousands of years of rust, was filled with two corpses in the late stages of decomposition.

Ophelia ran the length of the room until she came across a radiant cube. She picked it up with her left hand and began to squeeze, but she quickly realized that her Inhuman strength was not great enough to gain her prize.

She closed her right fist again. The Power Stone glowed, and energy flowed up her right arm, across her shoulders, down her left arm, and into the hand holding the Tesseract. She became a little aroused as the strength in her hand was magnified. She only had a few seconds to revel in her might before the cube shattered, revealing the Space Stone.

~~~~~

The Collector and his client turned to look when a large, blue portal suddenly opened a few yards away from them. Ophelia stepped out, and the portal closed behind her.

“Hello, madam,” Taneleer Tivan said calmly. “I’ll be with you in a moment.” He turned back to his client to resume their negotiation. Before he could open his mouth, the client’s head was vaporized by a beam of purple energy.

The Collector returned his attention to Ophelia, his eyes wide in horror. She was pointing the gauntlet at him, and the Power Stone glowed dangerously.

“Where is the Reality Stone?” she demanded.

The Collector gulped. “I’m afraid it’s not for sale.”

Ophelia took a step forward. “Where is the Reality Stone?” she repeated.

Tivan considered his options. There were multiple creatures in his museum that he could let loose on her, but with her wielding the Power Stone, they were unlikely to defeat her. He could try fighting her himself, but, as he looked at her, he noticed that she had three Infinity Stones, not just one. The odds were not in his favor.

“I’ll go get it,” Tivan said. He turned to the exit of his museum, but after a step, the Space Stone glowed, and he felt a tremendous pressure around his entire body. Aside from speaking, he couldn’t move.

“I didn’t ask you to get it for me. I asked you where it is,” Ophelia snarled as she walked right up to him.

“Over there,” he said hurriedly, pointing with his eyes. Ophelia followed his gaze. In a display case on the far side of the room, there sat a stone box with gold covering the edges and ends. A scarlet liquid glowed midway along the box’s length.

Ophelia turned back to the Collector. “Thank you,” she said with a sickly sweet smile.

Tivan breathed a premature sigh of relief. An instant later, the ancient being seemed to disappear as he was compressed to the size of an atom.

~~~~~

Tony Stark, James Rhodes, and Vision sat by the television in the living area of the Avengers facility, worriedly watching the evening news cover the mysterious death of a famous surgeon in New York. Suddenly, Vision screamed and reached for his forehead.

Stark and Rhodes rushed to the android’s side. “Vis?!” Rhodes exclaimed.

Instead of responding, Vision slipped off the couch and fell onto his hands and knees.

“Talk to us, Vis,” Stark said.

Vision composed himself enough to gasp, “The Stone is warning me. Someone is coming for it.”

As if on cue, a blue portal obscured the television, and Ophelia stepped out.

“Who the hell are you?” Rhodes demanded before being blasted by the Power Stone.

“Rhodes!” Stark roared as what was left of his best friend hit the floor. He touched a button on his watch, and it started to unfold into one of the gloves of his Iron Man armor. Ophelia activated the Reality Stone, and the watch turned into a snake, which coiled around Stark’s wrist before delivering a painful bite to his forearm. Stark stumbled backwards onto the sofa, desperately trying to get the snake off of him. “FRIDAY, activate,” he began. Before he could name the protocol, his lips fused together.

Vision managed to ignore his splitting headache and fired a beam out of his forehead. Just in time, Ophelia opened two small portals, one in front of her and another next to Stark. The former intercepted the beam, which spewed forth from the latter and pierced Stark’s heart.

Before Vision could try again, Ophelia activated the Space Stone once more. Vision felt his head being squeezed for a few seconds until it was crushed like a tin can, sending bits of metal and circuitry all over the place. The Mind Stone fell to the floor and rolled towards Ophelia, who stopped it with her foot.

~~~~~

Phil Coulson entered the Zephyr’s lab. Leopold Fitz and Jemma Simmons were staring at a computer monitor with hope in their eyes. Melinda May sat in the corner, bored and confused after hours of listening to technobabble.

“How’s it coming along?” Coulson asked.

Fitz looked up. “We think we’ve figured out a serum that’ll temporarily neutralize her powers,” he said.

“Unfortunately, we can’t synthesize it with what we have on the plane,” Simmons continued.

“Even if we could, we still need to figure out how to administer it before she teleports away or kills any of us,” Fitz finished.

Coulson nodded. “Okay. Do some digging, see if you can find a lab that has what you need. The rest of us will work on a plan.”

Just as Coulson finished talking, they heard gunshots in the distance.

“Oh, God,” Simmons gasped. She quickly removed a flash drive from the computer and stuffed it in her pocket.

May rose, raced to the scientists, and pulled on their upper arms. “Come on,” she said.

Coulson drew his gun and looked at May. “Take care of them,” he said. May nodded.

Fitz and Simmons ignored May’s tugging. “You can’t stop her,” Fitz said.

“I know,” Coulson said. “But you two can.”

“Actually, they can’t,” said a voice from the doorway. They turned to see Ophelia standing there, grinning wickedly.

May drew her gun, and she and Coulson aimed at the former android, who chuckled. “You both know your weapons won’t kill me,” Ophelia said.

“I figure it’s worth a shot,” Coulson replied. He and May pulled their triggers as the Reality Stone glowed. Instead of bullets, bubbles spewed from the barrels of their guns. They looked at their weapons in confusion, and Ophelia activated the Time Stone. Seconds later, all that remained of May and Coulson were two piles of dust and a prosthetic hand.

For an instant or two, Fitz and Simmons were bolted to the spot, equal parts curious and horrified by what Ophelia had just done. Finally, Fitz decided that there was no point in trying to run and that he might as well gather intel. “How did you do that?” he asked.

“The _Darkhold_ has shown me many things, my love,” Ophelia began. “The greatest of all its revelations has been these.” She lifted her right hand to give the two scientists a better look at the gems embedded in her gauntlet. “They’re called Infinity Stones. There are six of them, and they each control a fundamental aspect of the universe, such as time,” she continued, gesturing to the dust at her feet. “Once I have all six, I’ll be able to do anything I want. To have anything I want,” she added, briefly focusing her gaze solely on Fitz. “As you can see, I only need one more, and you two are going to help me get it.”

“Go to Hell,” Simmons said.

Ophelia smirked. “Some would say that’s exactly where we’re going.” The Space Stone glowed, and a portal opened behind her quarry. She rushed forward and pushed them through before following. The portal closed behind her.

~~~~~

They emerged midway up a mountain on a rocky planet with dark purple skies, from which a light snow fell. The only light came from a star that hovered just above the horizon. There was an archway nearby, and on the other side, a hooded figure floated about a foot above the ground.

“Leopold, son of Alistair,” the figure said with a raspy German accent. “Jemma, daughter of Anne. Ophelia, daughter of Holden.”

“How do you know us?” Simmons asked.

The figure glided toward them. “It is my curse to know all who journey here.”

Once the figure was close enough for them to see under the hood, Fitz and Simmons gasped. “You’re the Red Skull!” Fitz blurted.

“A lifetime ago,” the figure said before turning around. “Follow me.”

As he glided away, Ophelia did as he commanded. After a few paces, she realized that she couldn’t hear any footsteps behind her, and she turned to see Fitz and Simmons looking for a place to run. She teleported behind the two scientists. “Move,” she ordered with a shove.

The figure waited until they had caught up before continuing. He led them up the mountain, and they entered what looked like the ruins of an ancient civilization. After a few minutes, they reached two enormous stone pillars at the top of the mountain and passed between them. Directly ahead was a steep drop. To their left, the Soul Stone sat on a small shrine.

“The Stone’s right there,” Fitz said.

“What do you need us for?” Simmons asked.

“The Soul Stone cannot simply be taken,” the figure said. “A price must be paid. The one who obtains the Stone must give up that which they love. A soul for a soul.”

Fitz and Simmons shared a fearful look as they realized Ophelia’s intentions. Fitz put himself between the two women and looked at his former lover. “Please,” he begged. “I will do whatever you want. I will go with you willingly. I will do everything I can to make you happy. Please, just let her go.”

“No,” Ophelia said flatly. “I will make us happy, Leopold, but in order for me to do that, you have to kill her.”

“Never,” Fitz said.

Ophelia smirked. “I forgot to mention something,” she said. The Mind Stone glowed. “As I did for so long, you won’t have a choice.”

In the last instant before he lost his own will, Fitz managed to tell Simmons to run. She broke into a sprint and just barely missed his hand as he reached for her arm. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a hellish light emanating from where Ophelia stood. The rocky ground seemed to reach up and grab her foot. She fell forward, and her scream drowned out a terrible snap as her ankle bent at an unnatural angle.

The rock receded as Fitz approached. He grabbed Simmons by her collar and started to drag her towards the edge of the cliff.

“No, please,” Simmons begged. “Fitz, please, you have to fight her!”

Fitz seemed to have not heard her at all.

“Fitz!”

Fitz said nothing.

They reached the edge. Fitz released his grip on her collar and stepped back. Simmons tried to crawl away, but Ophelia used the Reality Stone on the ground once more. It reached up and grabbed Simmons again, this time by the wrists, which it quickly snapped like twigs before returning to its normal state.

Fitz picked up Simmons’s feet and turned her so that she was parallel with the edge of the cliff. He dropped her feet, and pain shot up her leg as her broken ankle slammed into the hard stone. He put his foot on her waist.

Just before Fitz could push her over, Ophelia spoke. “One moment, my love.” She walked over to them, and he looked at her blankly.

Ophelia squatted down beside Simmons so that their faces were inches apart. “I want you to have a taste of the agony your existence has caused me,” she snarled. She rose to her full height and turned to Fitz. “Kiss me,” she said, her voice full of longing.

Fitz leaned towards her and pressed his lips against hers. They had kissed countless times in the Framework, but now that she had real lips to feel his and a real brain to process the sensation, she had to conclude that, despite the lack of passion on Fitz’s part, it was the most incredible thing she had experienced since becoming human.

After a minute or two, Ophelia decided it was time to finish it. She reluctantly broke the kiss and looked down at Simmons, who was weeping. Ophelia locked eyes with her and, after pushing aside the urge to torture her further, said, “Do it.”

Fitz extended his leg, and Simmons rolled over the edge. She called out to him in vain as she plunged to her death. A few seconds later, all that was left of Jemma Simmons was an echo, and this soon died as well.

A blinding white light shone from the base of the two pillars behind Ophelia. She turned and watched as it rose up into the heavens, illuminating the entire mountain. A second later, Fitz and the Soul Stone disappeared with a clap of thunder.

~~~~~

Fitz woke up on his back in a shallow pool of water. He felt something in his hand. He sat up and looked at his palm to see a small, orange rock. He turned his attention to his surroundings, desperately searching for a place to conceal the Soul Stone. He found no hiding spots in the barren wasteland, but in the distance, he could barely make out the two pillars at the top of the mountain where he had just –

No. No, he couldn’t have. He couldn’t have, and yet he held the proof in his hand. How could he? How could he have killed her?

He didn’t have long to think about it. Ophelia suddenly appeared right in front of him. He stared up at her as his vision became cloudy. “Don’t cry, Leopold,” she whispered. “She’s not worth your tears.”

Ophelia reached out with her left hand to wipe his eyes. Fitz jerked his head away, rolled over onto his front, and pushed himself to his feet. Before he could take a step, Ophelia grabbed his wrist. Fitz tried to pull his arm out of her grip, but she was far too strong. She forced his hand open and removed the Soul Stone from his grasp before letting him go. He fell backwards into the water.

“Finally,” Ophelia said, her voice shivering with anticipation as she lowered the Soul Stone into the final pocket in the center of the gauntlet. Once it snapped into place, she felt a rush more intense than anything anyone in all of history had ever experienced as the Stones began to enhance each other in a never-ending loop, unlocking their full potential. She giggled ecstatically at the fact that this immeasurable power was hers to command. She now just needed to snap her fingers.

Before she could do that, she felt something else: pain. The full power of the Stones seemed to be too much for a human body to handle, even one with the cocktail of powers Project Looking Glass had granted her. Fitz sat up and watched as burns appeared on her shirt, starting at her wrist and moving up her sleeve. He couldn’t see, but based on her agonized screams, he gathered that her arm was similarly becoming charred. He begged the cosmos to let her die.

The cosmos seemed to have other plans. Just as her ashen sleeve was blown away by the wind, a fiery glow appeared at the upper edge of the burns as her healing powers activated. The glow slowly moved down her arm, restoring the dead tissue. It passed into the gauntlet, and Ophelia stopped screaming and gasped for air.

Fitz collapsed onto his back. “Why?” was all he could say. “Why are you doing this?”

“I’m just doing what Radcliffe programmed me to do: make everyone happy,” Ophelia said once she caught her breath. “Once I snap my fingers, everyone in the universe will obey and worship us. They won’t have any reason to feel anger, or sadness, or pain. The only thing they will care about is that we exist, and since I’m going to make us immortal, they will never lose us. We will rule forever over a happy, peaceful, united universe, and we will have everything we could ever want!”

“All I wanted was her,” Fitz said, his voice cracking.

Ophelia scowled. “It doesn’t matter. In a moment, you will love me, and she will mean nothing to you!”

Fitz summoned his last bit of strength to sit up and glare at her. “AIDA,” he spat, “I hate you!”

For a brief instant, she seemed to be on the verge of tears, and Fitz felt a small bit of satisfaction. However, she soon began to giggle, and her smile chilled him to the bone.

“Not anymore,” Ophelia replied. She raised her right hand and pressed her thumb and middle finger together. SNAP!


	3. Aftermath

Ophelia usually woke up before Leopold, but when she opened her eyes on the sixth anniversary of her body’s creation, she was disappointed to find that his side of the bed was empty.

She sat up and scanned the room. To her right, the doors to the closet and bathroom were both shut with no light coming from the crack at the bottom, so he wasn’t in either of those. Looking opposite the bed, the loveseat and armchairs by the fireside were both empty. The windows to her left revealed a cloudless sky, but no one was sitting in the lounge chairs on the balcony.

Ophelia laid back down with a slight huff. She knew that he was probably preparing a surprise for her, so she hated being annoyed with him. Still, she had been hoping to receive her “present” first thing in the morning, and it appeared that this was not going to happen. To give herself a small taste, she grabbed one of his pillows, brought it to her nose, and inhaled deeply. Just his scent was enough to make her quiver with desire.

She laid there for a few minutes, hugging the pillow as though it were the lover whose scent it carried, before deciding that she might as well see where he had run off to. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, shivering a little as her feet made contact with the cold, marble floor. She popped into the bathroom to relieve herself and put on her emerald housecoat. Once this was done, she returned to the bed, picked up a silver ring on her nightstand, and slid it onto her slender finger.

As she made her way to the bedroom door, she glanced at a glass case in the corner of the room and was satisfied to see that it still contained a large, black book and a silver glove embedded with several gemstones.

After exiting the bedroom, Ophelia wandered around upstairs, moving as silently as she could. Once she had checked every room (except one, since its occupant was likely still asleep) and failed to find her husband, she descended the staircase. The foyer was deserted, but before she could decide where to look next, she heard the faint rustle of a page being turned from the hallway next to the stairs. She followed the hall and stopped in the entrance to the dining room.

Seated next to the head of the long, ornately-carved table was a small, brown-haired girl in purple pajamas. Her stuffed monkey, George, was positioned upright in the chair next to her. She was engrossed in a book, and thus failed to notice Ophelia silently admiring how her little face scrunched up in concentration.

About a month prior to the girl’s birth, Leopold had hoped that she would be as beautiful as her mother, while Ophelia had hoped that she would be as intelligent as her father. It seemed that they had both gotten their wish. The girl looked like a miniature version of her mother, though her eyes were Leopold’s light blue instead of her Ophelia’s hazel, and despite being a month shy of five years old, the book in her hands would have been challenging for most adults.

The girl reached a stopping point in her book and set it down. She was about to pick up George when she noticed the woman watching her. “Mummy!” she cried before sliding off her chair and running to Ophelia.

“Aurora!” Ophelia cried back. She kneeled and hugged her daughter tightly before planting a kiss on top of her head. “You’re up early. Where’s Daddy?”

“In the kitchen,” Aurora said, her voice muffled by Ophelia bosom.

Ophelia stood and picked up her daughter. She carried her back to her seat and placed her in it. “I’ll be back in a minute. I need to talk to Daddy,” she said.

Ophelia went through a swinging door behind Aurora. Leopold, dressed in grey pajama bottoms and a blue t-shirt, stood at a counter a few feet away. He was setting a pitcher of milk on a tray already laden with three plates of food and three empty glasses. Ophelia felt a small flutter in her chest when she noticed that one of the plates contained French toast cut into the shape of a heart.

Leopold turned and beamed at her, and she returned his smile in earnest. “Good morning,” he said. “And Happy Birthday.”

“Thank you,” Ophelia replied. She closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against his. He returned the kiss with such passion that she felt her knees wobble a bit. After several wonderful seconds, they pulled apart.

“I missed you when I woke up,” she whispered, her voice dripping with desire.

“Sorry about that,” he whispered back breathily. “I already made arrangements for lunch and dinner, so I figured I’d give Antonio the whole day off and make breakfast myself.”

Ophelia’s smile widened. “You’re sweet. Still, I really, really missed you,” she purred, hugging his neck. “I hope you’ll make it up to me tonight.”

“Believe me, I intend to,” Leopold replied with a smirk.

Ophelia giggled. “I can’t wait.”

They stared at each other for a moment, each of them overjoyed to merely be in the other’s presence. Eventually, Leopold remembered why he was in the kitchen. “We’d better get out there,” he said. “Our little monkey’s getting hungry.”

~~~~~

The rest of the day was wonderful.

After breakfast, the trio got dressed and met in the foyer, where they joined hands. Leopold told Ophelia to take them to the Sydney Opera House, and a second later, they were outside the oddly-shaped building. An attendant was waiting for them nearby. After taking a moment to get over the shock of seeing them in person, he turned and led them into the building. They followed him to the main concert hall, which was empty except for an orchestra, a choir, and a conductor. They sat down, and Leopold waved to the conductor, who turned to the musicians and began a three-hour-long concert of some of Ophelia’s favorite pieces of music.

When the conductor finally lowered his baton, the family applauded enthusiastically (causing many of the musicians to weep in ecstasy) before teleporting to Asgard for lunch. They appeared on a balcony near the top of what was formerly the Royal Palace of Valaskjalf. While it was still the home of royalty, the Asgardians who used to occupy it had graciously moved into the less impressive homes outside the palace so that their new King and Queen could use it as a vacation home.

Per Leopold’s instructions, their food and drink were ready for them, and one servant stood nearby in case they needed anything. They took their seats and began to eat.

As word spread of their arrival, the Asgardians came out in droves to kneel at the base of the enormous palace. While she had visited the realm many times, Ophelia still loved seeing these godlike beings prostrate themselves before her.

The meal was generally pleasant, but there was one awkward moment when Aurora asked, “Mummy, how old are you now?”

Her parents shared a nervous glance. How could they possibly explain the strange series of events that had resulted in Ophelia’s body being just thirteen months older than her daughter’s? Deciding to kick the can down the road, Leopold said, “Very,” which earned him a sarcastic slap on the hand from his wife.

When their plates were clean, the family waved farewell to the crowd below. After taking a moment to enjoy the Asgardians’ cheers, Ophelia took her husband and daughter’s hands, and the three of them vanished.

They appeared near the entrance to the Central Park Zoo. Ophelia and Leopold had visited it a couple of times during their honeymoon and enjoyed it immensely, but they had never gotten around to taking Aurora until now. The girl was excited to see all of the animals she had read about, both Earthborn and alien. She was especially interested in seeing the monkeys, and she had a good laugh when her father began to imitate one of them. Ophelia considered telling him that it was unbecoming of the King of the Universe to behave in such a manner in public, but their joy was infectious, so she held her tongue. Besides, the few peasants to witness the buffoonery were no longer capable of thinking less of him.

After a couple of hours, they left the zoo and teleported to Paris to wander the city’s streets. The crowd parted as they walked, as most of their subjects were too reverent to come closer than ten feet. A few brave ones whispered birthday wishes to Ophelia before backing away quickly.

Occasionally, they would pop into a shop, and Ophelia would pick out something that she liked (or, in the case of a shop she wouldn’t let Aurora enter, that Leopold would like). She checked out as a formality, but she was never charged. After all, she was the Queen of the Universe. She technically owned everything.

They visited the Louvre, but left soon after due to boredom. Aside from a small, unpopular gallery consisting of pieces that Leopold thought should be preserved for their historicity, all of the art in the museum was inspired by them. While they were flattered, they didn’t see anything that couldn’t be seen in a mirror.

Eventually, Aurora began to tire, so her parents teleported her home, gave her a light snack, and carried her upstairs. After handing her bags to a couple of servants, Ophelia helped Leopold dress the girl and tuck her into bed.

Ophelia bent over and kissed the girl’s forehead. “Good night, sweetheart,” she whispered.

“Good night, Mummy,” Aurora replied groggily.

Leopold also kissed her and said, “Good night, little monkey.”

“Good night, Daddy,” Aurora replied. When her father turned to leave, she held up her stuffed animal. “You forgot about George, Daddy.”

Leopold gave the monkey a peck and muttered, “Good night.”

“Daddy, he doesn’t understand English,” Aurora said with a mischievous grin. Leopold smirked and quietly did his best impression of a monkey, eliciting a giggle from his daughter and a soft chuckle from his wife.

The girl’s parents turned off the light and left her to rest. By the time they had closed the door behind them, she was asleep.

With their parental duties completed for the day, Leopold and Ophelia went downstairs to cuddle in the living room for a bit before dinner. When the time Leopold had scheduled for their meal arrived, Ophelia said, “Actually, I don’t feel like going anywhere else today.”

Leopold nodded. “Okay. I’ll go fix us something. What are you in the mood for?”

Ophelia thought for a moment and said, “Something simple.”

Leopold left the room and came back fifteen minutes later with a bowl of tomato soup, a grilled cheese sandwich, and a glass of water for each of them. When he set the food down, Ophelia smiled appreciatively upon seeing what he had brought. “It’s perfect,” she whispered as he sat down next to her. After sharing a kiss (which almost made Ophelia decide to forgo dinner in favor of teleporting them to the bedroom), they began to eat.

When the last bite of grilled cheese had been washed down with the last gulp of water, Leopold stood and reached for the dishes. Before he could collect them, Ophelia got to her feet and took his hand. “It can wait ‘til tomorrow,” she said, and they vanished with a flash of blue light.

They appeared in their bedroom, which was now lit only by the blazing log in the fireplace behind them. Ophelia grabbed Leopold by his belt and began to unfasten it and she pulled him towards the bed. He reached behind her back and unzipped her dress. They continued to disrobe each other as they crossed the room, and their clothes formed a trail behind them.

When they were both nude, Ophelia sat down on the bed, and Leopold kissed her as he gently pushed her onto her back. They snaked their way up the bed until Ophelia’s head was resting on her pillow. She threw their blanket over them in case Aurora came in, and he got to work.

After nearly half an hour of using his fingers, tongue, and cock to pleasure his beloved, Leopold finally finished inside Ophelia shortly after she reached her third climax of the night. He pulled his softening member out of her and rolled onto his back, breathing heavily. She turned onto her side to gaze at him in adoration.

Once he caught his breath, Leopold turned his head to look at her and asked, “So, did I make it up to you?”

Ophelia giggled. “Yeah, I’d say you did.”

“Good,” he said. “Good. Did you enjoy your birthday?”

“It was perfect,” she replied. She reached out to caress his face, enjoying how his stubble felt against her palm. “I have you and Aurora. My life is perfect.”

He smiled at her. “I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you more,” she replied, eliciting a soft snicker from him. She kissed him one last time for the day and rested her head on his chest.

Leopold felt his eyelids getting heavy. As he let them fall, he absentmindedly began to stroke her hair. “Good night, Ophelia,” he muttered sleepily.

Ophelia closed her eyes and, as she did many nights, thought back to the day she had won his heart all those years ago . . . .

_The energy that tore through her upon activating the Stones was so intense that she blacked out. When she woke up, she could detect no injury, but she did feel something wet on her cheek. She opened her eyes to see him crying, and his face lit up when he noticed she was awake. She sat up, and he pulled her into a tight embrace, which she tentatively returned. After a few seconds in his arms, she began to cry tears of joy once it sunk in that it had worked. He loved her, and he would love her forever_ . . . .

Ophelia smiled to herself and sighed contentedly. “Good night, Leopold.”


End file.
